Folktale
by eliza-natsuko
Summary: Fuji tells Tezuka a folktale during their outing with the team in the countryside. A folktale about... them. TezuFuji.


**Folktale  
**By Eliza Natsuko

**Pairing** : TezuFuji

**Rating** : PG-13

**Summary** : Fuji tells Tezuka a folktale during their outing with the team in the countryside. A folktale about... them.

**Disclaimer** : PoT belongs to the great Konomi-sama

**A/N** : Originally written for theirwhiteday community in LJ. Please read and let me know how i did, ne? 

* * *

It was a very fine morning - clear blue sky, white puffy clouds with funny formations and the sun was brightly shining. Little birds were flying around and chirping as if they were enjoying the day. Cotton white rabbits hopping around chasing each other and colourful butterflies flapped their wings with full elegance circling the blooming flowers. It was indeed an ideal day for the Seigaku regulars to go for a picnic that day. It was also surprising how Inui's data brought them to such utopia in Japan.

"Aa… beautiful day isn't it?" Fuji looked up at the sun, hand shielding his eyes.

"Indeed. Saa, let's spread out our mat," the fukubuchou instructed. The rest of the regulars, save for Fuji who was still busy enjoying the view and Tezuka, who was still talking to the bus driver, spread the mat and arranged the food obediently.

"Oishi, I'll be right back. I'll just go and snap a few photos for my new album," Fuji told Oishi. His fingers was toying with his camera, especially his right index finger, which was longing to press the button.

"Sure," Oishi answered, busy arranging the containers of food and at the same time making sure Momoshiro didn't empty those containers.

After arranging schedules of when to pick them up with the bus driver, Tezuka returned. He stood at the corner with his arms folded, eyeing his team. Momoshiro and Echizen were taking the food out of the basket while Kaidoh was arranging them properly on the mat. Momoshiro suddenly let go of the food before Kaidoh held it which resulted in the food spilling, and the both of them engaged in a verbal fight.

Luckily, only some chips were spilt, and it wasn't too messy.. Oishi had his brows furrowed and a small smile on his lips, trying to break the two angry sophomores (which he failed miserably at and earned himself a 'Mada mada dane' from Echizen).

Kikumaru was also taking out trays of food with his acrobatic stunts.. Inui was, at the corner opposite Tezuka, taking a sip of greenish red liquid from a mug, turned green for a moment, shook his head and jotted something on his notebook. Tezuka swore he will never drink that awful juice even if it meant running 20 laps. Kawamura was taking out trays and arranged some of the sushi properly, being the neat boy that he was. Tezuka had a wonderful team-

'_Wait… Where's Fuji?'_ Tezuka glanced around again but spotted no sign of the tennis prodigy. "Oishi, where is Fuji?"

-x-

Tezuka walked a distance away from his team and went down a slope and found Fuji half kneeling, half squatting under a big tree, patting a white rabbit. The tree Fuji was under was the only tree in the wide terrain filled with colours of blooming flowers. Tezuka watched quietly as the tensai continued patting the rabbit, camera still hung around his neck. Fuji didn't seem to notice Tezuka. Tezuka then walked closer towards Fuji. The white rabbit hopped away as if it sensed danger.

"Aa. Buchou, what are you doing here?" Fuji asked, standing up and quickly snapping a picture of Tezuka.

Tezuka blinked a couple of times and gave Fuji a disapproving look. Looking at Tezuka, and receiving no reply, Fuji continued.

"Oh, nothing. I was just snapping some pictures. I wouldn't want to waste this opportunity. Great view, isn't it?" Fuji looked straight ahead at the flowers and flying butterflies and dragonflies around him.

"Rabbit," Tezuka stated. Anyone wouldn't have understood what Tezuka actually meant, but Fuji knew Tezuka too well to know what he wanted to know.

"The rabbit? It hopped around me and since it was harmless, I fed it with some grass. It seemed to like me until you came and chased it away," Fuji pouted playfully.

"I did not," the other boy protested shortly.

Fuji just chuckled. "Ne, Tezuka. Have you heard of the Chinese legend about a maiden on the moon with a rabbit?" Fuji sat down below the tree and leaned against the huge trunk.

Tezuka shook his head a little but enough for Fuji to notice. He, too, settled down beside Fuji.

"There was this legend about a maiden who lived on the moon with a rabbit. This maiden was actually a servant of the empress in heaven," Fuji started his tale. Though Tezuka didn't looked as if he was listening, Fuji knew he was.

Thus, he continued. "One day, while cleaning the empress's room, the maiden accidently broke one of the vases. Things got worse when the vase happened to be the empress' favourite. Furious, the empress sent the maiden to Earth for seven years as punishment."

As he was talking, a gush of cool breeze blew past them. Their hair danced in the rhythm of the wind. Tezuka gently removed his glasses and closed his eyes, feeling as the cool breeze kiss his face.

"On Earth, this maiden struggled to support herself by selling flowers. One fateful day, a young lad, who was an archer, bought some flowers from the maiden. The young lad thought the maiden was pretty and visited her ever since. Soon, they fell in love with each other."

Tezuka recalled how he met Fuji. It wasn't in school but rather a tennis court three blocks away from Fuji's house. They started playing tennis with each other and made a silent agreement to meet everyday. They began to talk more, hang out after playing and visited each other's home. Soon, they came to a realization that it wasn't just the passion for tennis that made them meet everyday, but the need to see each other that brought them together.

Fuji looked at his captain for a mere second. He looked relaxed, eyes closed and leaning against the tree, deep in thought.

"In the fifth year, the maiden on Earth, instead of one sun rising in the morning saw that there were nine suns!" Fuji said, emphasizing the number of suns. "The brace, young lad shoot down eight of them and saved the Earth. After the incident, the thankful citizens elected the young lad as king."

"In the seventh year, which was the year the maiden was supposed to get married to the king, she was called back to heaven. The maiden quickly told the king the truth and returned to heaven with a heavy heart."

When Fuji told him that part of the tale, Tezuka suddenly thought of the time when Fuji and himself were an item. For months they were happily together until pressure from their surroundings, parents and their responsibility hit them hard. They decided to break up, then.

Fuji held out his index finger for a butterfly to rest on it. "You know, immortals and mortals weren't allowed to be together at that time."

Tezuka let out a soft "Nn" and nodded, gently urging Fuji to continue.

"For months, the king could neither sleep nor eat. He missed the maiden dreadfully. Thus, he pleaded to the gods to let him meet the maiden again and he was willing to give up everything that he had, including his throne. The gods were touched and finally agreed to let him meet the maiden, on one condition, he mustn't remain as a human. The gods turned him into a rabbit and sent him to the moon with be with the maiden," Fuji ended his story with a sad smile. "Wonderful love, isn't it?"

"Hn." Tezuka put his glasses back on and opened his eyes slowly, afraid that he might damage his eye more with the sudden sunlight rushing into his pupils. He remembered Fuji skipping school for the entire week after they broke up. He called in sick, and Tezuka knew that it wasn't true. He visited Fuji, but the beautiful boy he wanted to see had a red nose and puffy eyes as if he cried the whole time. It hurt Tezuka and made him wonder all over again if breaking up was the best solution.

"It's pretty much similar to our society, don't you think so?" Tezuka quirked an eyebrow. "Just like how immortals and mortals weren't allowed to be together, two boys aren't allowed to be together too, ne?"

Tezuka suddenly felt the topic of discussion had diverted from the folktale to… them. "Aa."

"Don't you think it is cruel to separate those who loved each other deeply?"

Tezuka remained silent.

"Ne, Tezuka, if you were the king, would you give up everything just to be with the one you love?" Fuji plucked a dandelion and blew it, causing the tiny white seeds to fly in accordance of the wind. Another gush of wind blew past them. Fuji held his hair behind his ear and Tezuka was suddenly dumbstruck – he couldn't find any word in his vocabulary to describe Fuji at that time. Fuji then turned to Tezuka, which reminded him of the unanswered question.

Tezuka thought of the ambiguous meaning behind Fuji's words, as if it meant, "Will you risk your reputation to be with me?"

-x-

"Oishi, where's buchou and Fujiko, nya?" the ever bouncy Kikumaru asked, eyes scanning around for the team captain and best friend.

"Fuji went to snap some photos and I think Tezuka is with him." Oishi and the rest of the team members sat on the mat with Momoshiro and Kaidoh still sending daggers at each. Echizen was drinking form a Ponta can. "Eiji, do you mind calling them? We can start eating already."

"Nope. I'll go." And the cat-like member bounced away.

-x-

"Fuji, I think-" Tezuka's words were disturbed when they heard Eiji's voice.

"Buchou! Fujiko! Let's eat!" Eiji shouted from above the slope, waving his hands frantically.

Tezuka stood up and held out a helping hand to Fuji. Fuji looked up at his captain questioningly but decided to take the hand anyway.

Tezuka pulled him up and completed his hanging answer. "I think everything the king did was… worth it."

Fuji smiled brightly, brighter than the sun perhaps, and together, they returned to their team to have their picnic, happily.

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Reviews are welcomed! 


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